The present invention relates to a two-piece cosmetic applicator for the application of cosmetic products such as lipstick, lip balm and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a cosmetic applicator for packaging and dispensing cosmetic product adapted to allow consumers to open the applicator so that the cosmetic product is at an external location of the applicator for use and close the applicator so that the cosmetic product is retracted into the applicator for storage and reuse.
Various types of packages and applicators for packaging and dispensing of cosmetic products are known in the prior art, in various sizes and shapes. Such packages usually include a container of two-piece assembly, a separate cover or closure to seal the container, a mechanism for receiving and raising and lowering the product within the package to present it in a proper position for use and to retract it into the package for storage and reuse. In many of these types of packages, the cover or closure and the container storing the product are separate pieces which often times may be disassociated from one another upon removal of closure for use thereby rendering the package from being sealed for storage and reuse. Further, many of these packages comprise three pieces which are delivered to the manufacturer of cosmetic products disassembled requiring the manufacturer to assemble the packages after the filling of the cosmetic product. These packages are more expensive to manufacture and assemble. U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,858 (Zinnbauer) discloses a known solid product dispensing package within the field of the present invention.
According to the present invention there is provided a sheet stock preform adapted to be folded to form a dispensing package and a product elevator adapted to receive cosmetic product and movable within the dispensing package toward and away from a product dispensing opening to present the cosmetic product for dispensing at a location external to said package and retracting the cosmetic product entirely into the container for storage and reuse. The two parts, the sheet stock preform adapted to be folded to form a dispensing package, and the product elevator assembled with the sheet stock preform for receiving said cosmetic product and dispensing said cosmetic product from the dispensing package, together comprise the two-piece cosmetic applicator. Prior art discloses cosmetic dispensing packages made of three or more pieces requiring two hands to use the package and apply the cosmetic product. In addition, prior art packages require additional steps of manufacture and assembly. The advantage of the present invention is that there are less parts to manufacture and that the additional step of assembly by the cosmetic product manufacturer is eliminated. The two-piece cosmetic applicator of the present invention is fully assembled and shipped to the manufacturer of cosmetic product; the manufacturer of the cosmetic product need only fill product elevator of the applicator with cosmetic product and seal the applicator upon filling thereby rendering the applicator ready for shipment to retailers.
An embodiment of the two-piece cosmetic applicator comprises an integrally molded plastic three-panel sheet stock preform, each of such panels substantially rectangular in shape and foldable at hinges, and a product elevator made of a thin sheet of resilient plastic material having a cup at one end for receiving the cosmetic product and a tab and flexible closure or cover member on the other end. The three-panel sheet stock preform has two outer panels, a front panel and a back panel, and one center panel between the two outer panels.
One of the outer panels, the front panel, has a longitudinal vertical groove adapted to receive and guide the tab of the product elevator up and down the vertical groove to allow the product to be dispensed. The front panel is adapted to form an opening of the applicator at the top end and has internal guide ribs at the bottom end to form a bottom cover and to guide the product elevator. The other of the outer panels, the back panel, has an elongated hollow product fill chamber which is hingedly secured to the bottom end of the outer panel adapted to receive the cup of the product elevator having the cosmetic product. The top end of the back panel forms an opening of the applicator. The center panel is equipped with a guide post at its bottom end which in conjunction with the internal guide ribs of the front panel allows the product elevator to be moved vertically within the hollow product fill chamber without causing the product elevator to bend, buckle or kink.
The two-piece cosmetic applicator is assembled by inserting the product receiving cup of the product elevator within the hollow product fill chamber so that the open end of the product receiving cup is positioned toward the top of the back panel. Once the product receiving cup of the product elevator is positioned in the product fill chamber in the back panel, the remaining portion of the product elevator including the tab and flexible closure member is placed between the guide post of the center panel and the guide ribs at the bottom of the front panel. Thereafter, the product fill chamber is folded about the hinge toward the back panel and simultaneously, the front panel and the back panel are folded about the hinges perpendicular to the center panel while positioning the thin sheet of resilient plastic material of the product elevator toward the outer edge of the product fill chamber, positioning the tab within the vertical groove of the front panel and, positioning the flexible closure member to cover the opening formed by the top of the front and the back panel. Finally, the front panel is attached to the back panel using an attachment means, which consists of a hook and corresponding groove to provide a snap fit. The cosmetic applicator is now ready to be shipped to the manufacturer of the cosmetic product for product filling.
The above-mentioned features and objects of the invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.